With A Stranger
by Moonlight Sonata Muse
Summary: This is my take on what Belle was doing between escaping the hospital and the curse being broken. Why did it take so long for her to find Gold's Pawnshop, and what was going through her mind when she followed a perfect stranger into the woods?


**A/N: Hello Dearies and Oncers alike! So I was watching the finale (for maybe the thousandth time) and found myself asking the same question. What exactly was Belle doing before she found Gold's Pawnshop? And what exactly was going through her head when this guy, who she has never met, is leading her into the deserted forest? And so, this one shot was born! I hope you enjoy! Please, tell me your thoughts!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am merely a humble fan of the show and its talented writers.**

**With A Stranger**

Belle had walked aimlessly around the small town. She had always hoped that if she ever did escape the asylum that she would know her way around. However, her hopes proved to the contrary because Belle was certain she had never seen this town before in her life. People inside big shiny beasts roamed the streets as she wandered about the quiet town. No one seemed to pay her any mind, in the early morning hours. She continued walking unnoticed until she reached one building, where the smell of hot food escaped the threshold. She could not deny the growling of her stomach as she drew closer. She stood just outside of the building and took in deep breaths of the mouthwatering meals she could smell.

"Hi," said a voice to Belle's right. She turned to see a tall slender woman giving her a warm but wolfish smile. Belle observed the odd streaks of red in the young woman's dark brunette hair. "Were you going to come in? Granny just fixed a mess of her famous banana pancakes."

"Oh, I…" Belle stuttered, but was cut short by the woman.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before. I'm Ruby." She held out her hand to Belle. Belle was polite and shook Ruby's hand.

"I'm Isabelle, no" she paused for a second as if thinking, "Belle," she corrected as she gave a shy smile.

"So, how about it, Belle? Want to come in and get a bite to eat?" Ruby asked as she began to walk to the entrance of the diner. Belle looked down with a bit of embarrassment.

"I don't have any money," she said defeated. Ruby could see that this was no swindler trying to get a free meal, and her heart broke as the girl began to walk away with only the growling of her stomach to say goodbye.

"Wait!" Ruby called. Belle turned around. "Didn't you know that all of my new friends get to eat free?" Granny was going to kill her, but the look of sheer gratitude on Belle's face was reward enough. Belle walked back to where Ruby held the door open for her.

"I don't know how to thank you, Ruby." Belle said.

"Nah, it's nothing. You're skin and bones as it is, I couldn't let you get carried away by the wind." Ruby managed to get a smile out of Belle. "Now, as I was saying, Granny just made her famous banana pancakes, and they are possibly the best thing you are ever going to eat in your entire life!"

"Thank you," Belle said as Ruby walked around to the kitchen to fix Belle a plate. She returned in mere seconds with a tall stack of golden pancakes and a bottle of warm syrup. Belle's eyes grew wide with hunger as she took in the sweet scent of her first hot meal outside the hospital. She made quick work of her meal. Ruby watched over her to be sure that she wasn't disturbed. The waitress could see that Belle was very sheepish as the early birds began crowding the diner for breakfast, but gave Belle a reassuring smile every time she came over to refill her water.

"Now how about some bacon and eggs to go with that?" Ruby asked as she cleared the empty dishes away.

"I couldn't possibly, I am so full," she gave a grateful smile. "Please, tell your grandmother that I enjoyed it very much."

"Sure thing," Ruby assured her. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Belle?" Belle looked down and fiddled with her cuffs of her jacket before answering.

"I don't know," she said. "I was looking for a man."

"Oh, Sweetie, aren't we all?" Ruby laughed as she sat across from Belle in the booth. She could sense Granny's eyes roaming over to her when she sat down, but was surprised the old woman did not make her get back to work.

"No, not like that," Belle feigned a laugh. "No, his name is Mr. Gold. Do you know where I can find him?" Ruby's mirth turned to seriousness.

"Um, yeah, his shop is a few buildings down the road and to the left," she pointed out the window to show her new friend. "Why are you looking for Mr. Gold?"

"I'm supposed to tell him something," Belle answered. Ruby was growing more and more confused. What kind of desperate position was this poor girl in to turn to Mr. Gold for help?

"Belle," Ruby reach out a hand to Belle's, "if you're in some kind of trouble, you don't have to go to Mr. Gold. We can help you. You have friends here." Needless to say, Belle was utterly perplexed. Was this Mr. Gold some sort of shady character? But he was supposed to protect her, wasn't he? She had to follow her gut.

"Ruby, I appreciate everything, the meal, your friendship, but this is something I have to do. I can't explain it, but please believe that I will be alright." Belle said as she stood. Ruby, too, stood to face her friend. Belle gave her a hug. "I cannot say thank you enough for your kindness to a stranger. I hope to repay you in some way, soon."

With that, Belle exited Granny's and made her way down the street to the mysterious Mr. Gold's Pawnshop. Ruby looked out the window and watched her new friend disappear down the street.

"Ruby," Granny called. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know, I'm getting back to work," she huffed. To her surprise, Granny was not rebuking her for shunning her work, but instead was calling her over to the counter. She obviously noticed that Belle didn't pay and was about to make Ruby chase her down. "Look, Granny, I know she didn't pay her bill, but you can dock it from my paycheck."

"Oh, don't be silly, Ruby," Granny gave a warm smile.

"What?" Ruby's brow rose in shock.

"I was about to bring that poor girl in if you didn't." Granny told her.

"I thought you'd be mad," Ruby said.

"Just because I heckle Leroy to pay his tab, doesn't mean I'm going to let some poor child starve just because she doesn't have any money." Granny explained. Ruby grinned.

"Oh, Granny, you're such a softy," Ruby smiled and gave Granny a hug. As tough as the old woman always tried to be, she always had a sweet spot deep down inside.

"Yes, yes, just don't make a habit out of giving away free food whenever you want to make new friends." Granny snorted as she broke the embrace and went back to work.

* * *

Belle followed Ruby's directions and found herself in front of Mr. Gold's Pawnshop. Though the sign said 'CLOSED', she had to try at least. With a deep breath, she pushed on the door, which opened with ease. A tinkling of a bell echoed in the deserted room as she walked inside. She began looking around the shop when she heard shuffling in the backroom. Belle cautiously walked over and opened the curtain separating the two rooms. She saw a well-dressed man closing a drawer with his back to her.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Gold?" she asked. The thin man seemed busy and tried to brush her away.

"Yes, I am, but I'm afraid the shop's closed." He said hastily, but stopped dead when he caught sight of her. Rumplestiltskin's heart skipped a beat as he saw Belle standing before him. This couldn't be real. He figured his mind was playing cruel tricks on him, painful, wicked, heart-crushing tricks.

"I was, uh, told to find you, and tell you that Regina locked me up." She told him exactly as her savior had instructed. Mr. Gold's eyes looked her over with obvious awe like he knew her, as if she were some lost lamb wondering back to the fold. She couldn't help but wonder if he understood the message she conveyed. "Does that mean anything to you?"

He held out a hand to touch her shoulder, as if testing what his eyes told him was there, but his mind told him was impossible. Rumplestiltskin felt the irrefutable proof that she was truly here in his shop. His heart was aching with more emotion than he had ever felt before. He could feel hope, joy, and the undeniable feeling of love.

"You're real?" he whispered in disbelief. "You're alive?" The words danced on his lips like a sweet song. However, the sweetness left as he remembered all that she had said. 'Regina locked me up.' His anger was stirred, but quelled for the time being. "She did this to you?"

"I was told you'd protect me." Belle was surprised by how heartbroken this man sounded. It was enough to make her own heart ache for the poor soul. More so, when she saw the tears brimming in his eyes.

"Oh, yes," he sobbed as he reached out and embraced her. Belle, though surprised, did not push the broken man away. She merely stood there. "Yes, I'll protect you." Belle was sure this man must know her somehow. Why else would he be so moved by a first encounter, when she had told him so little?

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" She marked that he seemed like a nice man, but there was something in the glint of his eye that made her wonder what he wasn't telling her. She noticed this, when his face tried to hide the pain her words had caused him.

"No," he answered, "but you will." Belle could only look at him with confusion. She could not have asked for a more cryptic answer. She was about to ask him what he meant, when all of the sudden loud choruses of chiming rang out in the shop. Belle jumped, instinctively, at the loud noise. "Don't be alarmed," Gold soothed with his voice. "It's just the clocks." Though it pained him, he did not touch her again for fear that it might add to her anxiety. Belle turned to see him casually wiping his wet eyes pretending he had something in them other than tears. He cleared his throat. "But seeing as it is 6 o'clock, we really should be going."

"Going? Going where?" she asked warily. Even now, he could sense her apprehension.

"There is something I must do, somewhere I must go," was all he said as he began to limp back into the front room. Belle didn't know why, but she followed him like a lost puppy outside to one of the large metal creatures she had seen earlier. He opened it was motioned for her to enter it.

"What is that?" she asked curiously. Gold looked surprised. Not only did she have no memory of him or her past life, she appeared not to have any memory of either world. He managed a light smile at her wonder.

"It's called a car," Rumplestiltskin explained. "People use it for transportation."

"Oh," she whispered, a little embarrassed by her lack of knowledge. She then looked from Gold to the car, and Rumplestiltskin could read her expression like an open book.

"I know this is all very new to you and somewhat frightening, but I promise you can trust me." He said as he stepped closer to where she stood. She looked down at the ground until he spoke again. "Belle, I promised to protect you and keep you safe. Regina isn't going to lay another hand against you so long as I have life in this body. But right now, I need you to trust me." He then offered her his hand. She looked into his eyes and saw only truth. And so, Belle took his hand and he helped her into the car. Gold let out a sigh of relief, as he walked around to the driver's side of the car. In silence, the two drove down the street and across town and then onto the forest road.

Both were fighting separate battles in their heads. Belle was wrestling with having to blindly trust a perfect stranger. A thought not easily put to rest by the fact that he was driving into the secluded woodlands, away from town, away from people. Rumplestiltskin was grappling with the boundless joy of having his Belle alive, but then again, the woman sitting next to him wasn't his Belle at all. She was just a shadow, an echo, of the person she once was. However, he was going to fix that very soon. He just had to get to the well.

"How did you know my name was Belle?" Gold looked over surprised by the break in silence. Then, the question decoded in his mind.

"Uh, you told me, back in the shop." He smiled. Belle wasn't sure how, but she could tell when he was lying.

"No, I didn't. You know me somehow." She stated. Gold was about to argue differently, but Belle stopped him. "Please, don't lie to me. I can't keep trusting you if you lie to me."

"Alright, then," Gold nodded. He kept his gaze on the road, afraid that his eyes would divulge more than he wanted to. "I do. I do know you."

"How? Wouldn't I remember you? Do you think I have some kind of amnesia or something?" Belle, always so curious. Rumplestiltskin smirked. Maybe she hadn't changed as much as he thought. "Are we friends? Family? What?"

"Yes." Gold said with a stoic face.

"Yes? What do you mean 'yes'? Which one?" Belle asked, a little annoyed until she saw the smirk he was trying to hide on his lips. She realized he was teasing her, and while that might be annoying, she liked it. "You're just going to keep me guessing aren't you?"

"Oh, you'll know everything before too long." Gold said as he pulled to a stop on the side of the road. "We walk from here."

"Walk?" Belle asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Gold smiled. "I can't exactly drive through the trees. Besides, I figured some fresh air and wide open spaces would do you good." He was already making his was around the trees when he turned back to se Belle standing by the car. Hesitation and anxiety painted on her face.

"I'm scared of going into the forest." She called up to Gold.

"Why?" he asked as he began to make his way back to her.

"I have dreams, nightmares, about people chasing me in the woods and locking me in a dungeon. Then, I'd wake up and be in my cell." Belle explained briefly. She could not see how much her words affected Mr. Gold. It was took every fiber of his being not to pull her into his arms and comfort her, right then and there. Oh, Regina would pay dearly, not just for hiding Belle from him, but for putting her through, what he imagined, was a living hell.

"I promise that is all over now. No one will lock you away ever again." Gold promised. She nodded, but stilled look hesitant about entering the forest. He held out a hand like before. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she answered softly as she took his hand and he led her into the wilderness. He guided them through mazes of trees and underbrush. Taking time for her to step over limbs and such so the she would not trip. He did on occasion have to catch her before she fell to the forest floor when her hospital shoe would get caught up in the large roots of the trees. Truth be told, neither of them were properly dressed for such an outing as this, but Gold pressed on further into the woods.

"Wait," Belle called just as they were about to reach their destination.

"No, no, we're very close," Gold answered, thinking she was growing tired of their excursion.

"Rumplestiltskin, wait." His heart clenched as his ears rang with his Belle's voice calling his name. He turned around to see her beautiful face full of recognition as she walked over to where he had froze still. "I remember." She said simply as tears brimmed in her eyes. "I love you."

Rumplestiltskin's heart burst with emotion as he pulled her into an embrace. Belle, HIS Belle, was finally here with him, in his arms. "Yes," he breathed into her neck. This was the contacted he had been trying to fight ever since he first saw her in his shop. His arms around her and hers around him. "Yes." With great delight, he uttered the words he should have all those years ago. "And I love you, too."

And they were strangers no more.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: I hope you liked my little snippet! Let me know what you thought! Review!**


End file.
